sweetFrog, a soft-serve frozen yogurt chain, is coming to the Kinston Plaza next week.

Owners Matt and Tonia Peake of the Richmond, Va., area are opening the doors to the public Thursday. Kinston native Steve Thurnau will be managing the business.

One reason why the couple is locating in Kinston is because Matt Peake has family living in New Bern, he said.

Peake said he researched the area and found Kinston to be a “great spot.”

“We just really love the Eastern North Carolina small towns,” he said.

Customers can select from 21 premium frozen yogurt flavors, mixing them if they desire, and add as little or as many toppings as they like.

“The reason we say ‘premium,’ ” Peake said, “is that it tastes so good, not because of the cost.”

The desserts are weighed and charged by the ounce, so the cost is determined by what each customer takes. The shop charges 40 cents an ounce.

“This is a much more affordable option for a family going out for a treat,” Peake said.

The “Frog” in sweetFrog stands for Fully Rely On God, which Peake said is in line with his purpose — not to preach, but to give back to the community.

sweetFrog — with about 160 stores in more than 15 states — is known for supporting children overseas, children’s hospitals and Special Olympics. Peake said he plans to support various local community efforts.

Working in investment management and financial planning, Peake earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics in 1996 at the University of Virginia. He owned a wholesale toy company in Midlothian, Va.

Peake learned about sweetFrog from a friend. He, his wife and their three children decided to try it out.

“I went with my family, he said, “and found that not only is it a great-tasting treat, but it is affordable.”

Peake lost his job earlier this year because of the economy and decided to open the shop here in Kinston.

Customers can keep up with specials and promotions by visiting facebook.com/sweetFrogKinstonNC.

Anthony Wallace, who has owned barber shops in Snow Hill and Farmville, has closed both shops and now operates The Barber Shop in Maury.

A native of Washington, he’s lived in the township of Lizzie for 10 years and was known for his haircuts and shaves across from the Greene County Courthouse.

His goal was to open several shops but he discovered, “I’m a one-shop man,” he said.

“I just miss Greene County and it’s closer to home,” he said was the reason he is working in Maury, which is central in the county, close to Lizzie and ideal for the many farmers who live and work nearby.

The shop features the old-time lighted barber pole out front.

“I got the old-school barber shop look,” he said.

Inside the shop, visitors can peruse his collections, including barber tools from as early as the 1930s, North Carolina team items, Greene County band items going back to the 1970s and Greene Central High School and local fire department memorabilia.